There are devices for supporting fishing rods while fishing and there are devices for protecting fishing rods in storage. The following patents are representative of the known prior art:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. ISSUE IN- NO. DATE VENTOR TITLE ______________________________________ 358,527 Mar 1, 1887 Zwoyer FISHERMAN's POLE REST 420,592 Feb 4, 1890 Dayton REST FOR FISHING RODS 704,991 July 15, 1902 Warren FISHING ROD HOLDER 1,025,657 May 7, 1912 Towne FISH ROD HOLDER 1,283,511 Nov 5, 1918 Heidtmann FISHING ROD HOLDER 1,719,695 July 2, 1919 Ferguson FISHING ROD SUPPORT 1,776,425 Sep 23, 1930 Geisinger COLLAPSIBLE POLE AND ROD HOLDER 2,099,254 Nov 16, 1937 Ballman FISHING ROD HOLDER 2,454,458 Nov 23, 1948 Kaetker FISHING POLE HOLDER 2,540,584 Feb 6, 1951 Jaycox TROLLING FIXTURE 2,674,426 Apr 6, 1954 Hiles FISHING ROD HOLDER WITH FOLDABLE PROP 4,424,907 Jan 10, 1984 Robb FISHING TACKLE STORAGE RACK 4,133,131 Jan 9, 1979 Davy FISHING ROD STORAGE AND SUPPORT APPARATUS 4,759,963 July 26, 1988 Uso, Jr. FISHING POLE FASTENING DEVICE 4,841,660 June 27, 1989 James FISHING ROD HOLDER 4,876,980 Oct 31, 1989 Bell, III FISHING ROD HOLDER EXTENSION 4,881,674 Nov 21, 1989 Medianik FISHING ROD HOLDER ______________________________________
None of the foregoing patents relate to the protection of a plurality of fishing rods while fishing. The utility of the storage racks shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,907 to Robb and U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,674 to Medianik is limited to protecting fishing rods in dead storage. They teach nothing about the protection of inactive rods while supporting them in position to be readily available when needed. James teaches only that a tackle box may support one or more rods while fishing.